Sankashti Chaturthi 2026 Dates: Next Date and Full List

What Sankashti Chaturthi is

Every lunar month has two Chaturthis. The one in the waxing half is Vinayaka (Vinayaki) Chaturthi; the one in the waning half, after the Full Moon, is Sankashti Chaturthi. In Maharashtra and South India it is widely observed every month, and in North India Sakat Chauth (in Magha) and Karwa Chauth (in Kartika) fall on the same Chaturthi.

Because the fast ends at moonrise, the day is chosen by the Moon: Sankashti is kept on the day when Chaturthi is running at moonrise. That is why it can fall a day earlier or later than a calendar that only looks at the tithi at sunrise.

How Sankashti Chaturthi is observed

Devotees bathe in the morning and make a resolve (sankalp) to keep the fast. In the evening, Ganesha is worshipped with durva grass, red flowers, a lamp and modaks or laddoos, and the Sankashti katha is read. After moonrise, water (arghya) is offered to the Moon, and then the fast is broken with prasad and a simple meal.

Many people recite the Ganapati Atharvashirsha or the Sankatnashan Ganesh Stotra on the day. Temples of Ganesha, such as the Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai, see large crowds, especially on Angaraki Chaturthi.

Simple rules many families follow

Fasting is optional. Children, older people, anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, and anyone with diabetes, low blood pressure or another health condition should eat normally or keep a light fruit-and-milk (phalahar) fast, and check with a doctor first. Traditionally the intention and the prayer matter more than going without food.

• Fruit, milk, sabudana, peanuts, potatoes and rajgira or singhara flour are commonly eaten during the day if not keeping a full fast.
• Grains, pulses, onion and garlic are usually avoided until the fast is broken.
• Offer 21 blades of durva grass to Ganesha if you can; it is traditionally his favourite offering.
• Break the fast only after seeing the Moon (or after the local moonrise time if clouds hide it).

Angaraki Sankashti Chaturthi

Angaraka is a name of Mars (Mangal), the lord of Tuesday. A Sankashti Chaturthi on a Tuesday is called Angaraki Chaturthi. Traditionally one Angaraki fast is said to bring the merit of many Sankashti fasts, and it comes only two or three times a year. In the list below these days are marked.

Why the date can differ in your city

A vrat's day is set by when its tithi is running at sunrise, sunset or moonrise, and those come at different clock times in different places. The dates above are for New Delhi. Across India they are almost always the same; abroad, especially in the Americas, a vrat can fall a day earlier because the tithi changes before local sunrise there. Your city's Panchang shows the local tithi times, sunrise, sunset and moonrise, and its month calendar shows the vrats by your own sunrise.

• New Delhi, Delhi PanchangMonth calendar
• Mumbai, Maharashtra PanchangMonth calendar
• Kolkata, West Bengal PanchangMonth calendar
• Chennai, Tamil Nadu PanchangMonth calendar
• Bengaluru, Karnataka PanchangMonth calendar
• London, United Kingdom PanchangMonth calendar
• New York City, United States PanchangMonth calendar
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Another city? Panchang by city covers over 400 places.